Midnight in Everwood(75)

‘You are aware you were meant to distract the king, not draw the entire throne room’s attention onto him, right?’ Dellara’s voice attacked Marietta the moment she receded to the shadows.

Marietta winced. ‘That went vastly differently to how I had intended.’

‘You’re fortunate that I’m magical in many many ways.’ Dellara patted her plunging neckline with a wink.

Marietta averted her eyes from Dellara’s cleavage. ‘You managed to retrieve it?’

‘Someday you and I are going to have a talk about fashion—’ Dellara eyed the delicate neckline of Marietta’s dress ‘—especially since you purloined my red velvet so as to rush off and seduce the captain. That was telling. I know there’s a daring woman inside all of those ivory nightgowns and demure blushes, screaming to be liberated.’

‘Did you retrieve the mechanism?’ Marietta repeated through gritted teeth.

Dellara’s smile cut wider. ‘Of course.’

‘Then let us not stand here quibbling over gowns. Time is wasting.’ Marietta walked into an adjoining snow globe. The glass distorted their view of the throne room as if they were peering into an antique mirror. Snow nestled in the corners and a snowman guarded the centre, each of his outstretched hands bearing a huge snowflake, upon which were perched white chocolate globes, their hollow centres filled with an edible surprise. Marietta took two and handed one to Dellara. They clinked them together.

‘To the end of winter,’ Dellara said, biting into it.

‘To the Grand Confectioner’s Ball,’ Marietta said, looking at the praline reindeer hers had revealed.

Dellara’s forehead rumpled. ‘What’s the matter with you? You look as if you’ve been caught out in an ice storm.’ She decapitated her chocolate snowman with relish.

‘Nothing. I’m merely anxious for tonight’s events to proceed smoothly.’ She glanced over her shoulder, the uneaten globe melting in her hand. King Gelum had retired to his throne once more. Pirlipata was nowhere in sight. Claren was surrounded by a gaggle of revellers from Mistpoint in their traditional cerulean trousers and flowing tops, veils folded back over their hair. Captain Legat was still conversing with Danyon, though every now and then, he scanned the throne room. Marietta was certain he was monitoring the premises though she couldn’t help a flutter of hope that he was searching for her.

Dellara swallowed the last of her chocolate. ‘Ah, I see,’ she murmured, her gaze knowing when Marietta turned back to her.

‘What do you see now?’ Marietta returned her globe to the snowman’s tray.

Dellara helped herself to a second. ‘You have it bad for our good captain. It’s plain you’re attracted to him but I hadn’t realised how deeply you care for him, too. It’s more serious than I had realised.’

Marietta perched on an oversized snowball. ‘Nothing could ever come of it. We are almost set to depart this world and he must remain here.’ She looked away, patted her hair. Silver twists coiled it into a marzipan-scented swirl. She fought against sinking into the verses she’d memorised of Legat’s. Words that transported her deeper into understanding, gave her sustenance, tugged at her emotions. Look to the stars … She knew that the canvas of the night sky would forever remind her of him.

Dellara set her chocolate globe down and studied Marietta. ‘Then you have invited him to accompany us?’

Marietta stood. ‘I had not intended to. Though where is the sense in hiding my feelings for him on the cusp of leaving?’

‘There is never any sense in hiding feelings; they will only embed themselves further in your heart until they’re impossible to dig out.’ Dellara adjusted the bodice of her dress. ‘Speaking of leaving, Pirlipata is late.’

A surge of concern swept like a blizzard through the snow globe.

‘Ought we to—’

A great noise broke out. Reverberations shook the glass-bottomed globes, sending flurries of snow dancing. Guards and soldiers surged forwards, hands resting on sword hilts, faceless masks tilted towards the encroaching sound. King Gelum leapt from his throne, shrouded behind a contingent of his guards.

Marietta and Dellara fled through a connecting tunnel and into another snow globe, weaving through the current of guests rushing past. A hand nudged Marietta’s. Captain Legat, his hand clenched on his hilt, breathless from his dash across the throne room, abandoning his royal duty for her. ‘Do you require my services?’ he asked, drawing his Starhunter sword with a glance at the main doors and the faceless guards securing them, ignoring the odd curious look aimed in their direction. His thumb grazed her fingers, a secret touch, a delicious thrill.

‘I—’ she managed to say before Dellara seized her other hand.

But Captain Legat held tighter to her, sudden comprehension dawning in his eyes. ‘If there was a key to another world to be found anywhere in the palace, I’d wager it was hidden among the king’s treasures,’ he whispered in her ear. She looked at him and he released her hand. Dellara swept her away into the chaos.

The main doors strained behind their barricades and splintered like hoarfrost. When the source of the rumbling became apparent, the guests hesitated, laughter bubbling out of the snow globes. Hundreds of miniature reindeer were pouring into the throne room. Marietta and Dellara broke into a run. The nearest soldiers attempted to corral the reindeer back through the doors as others ventured further into the throne room, finding their way into the snow globe complex, nibbling on cake and skirts without discrimination. Dellara fumbled to hand Marietta a small object as Marietta surged ahead on longer legs and slid beneath the throne. Smoothing her hand down the flat outline of the trap door she had discovered some balls ago, she opened her fingers to reveal a small mechanised mouse sitting in her hand.